The Simpsons: The Great Wife Hope

(S21E03) "Call me a killjoy, but I think that because this is not to my taste, no one else should be able to enjoy it!" --Marge Simpson on Ultimate Punching

I'm not a fan of Ultimate Fighting, though I think that other people should be able to watch it, if they're so inclined. But it is an all too common stance among watchdog groups, including mothers, sympathetic school officials and the clergy, as Nelson so kindly pointed out. Of course, this has been going on for years, but it was still a clever enough send-up of the problem.

Maybe it's because I don't find Marge to be one of the funnier characters on the show and this episode focused on her, so there weren't as many funny moments in the main storylines. Luckily, there were plenty of side characters and moments to spotlight.

Not that all of those jokes worked. I didn't find any laughs in Krusty revealing that he'd been sleeping with Sideshow Mel's wife for the past nine years. It did make me wonder what that does to the continuity of Sideshow Bob's grudge against Bart. I know, the show's been on for 20 years and no one's aged. There can't be any true continuity. But I'm a dork and I think of these things anyway.

Nelson's really grown into an interesting character, and I kind of like the layers the writers have given him over the year. This week's revelation was that he wants to be an event planner when he grows up. Who knew there was such a sensitive side inside of him. He even helped train Marge later in the ways of the bully. I got a huge kick out of Skinner also being in the punching bag: "I'm well aware of the situation."

Funny Moments:

K-I-L-L ... S-K-I-L-L ... There's no place for that!!

$25 for an autograph for a kid. Sadly that is the world we live in.

"That woman has natural breasts. This can't be good." - Chet Englebrick, on Marge walking into the septagon

Canceling the entire lion food order upon finding out they don't have the right size drink.

I always love seeing Mr. Burns, and it was funny seeing him continue trying to grapple Marge's hair long after she left his training.

The best moment of the night came in the dramatic end. Alone in the stadium, Bart says to Lisa: "Wanna settle this bad blood that's been going on between us since you were born?" She accepts and they charge one another. Just before the dramatic punch, fade to credits.

That would have been a typical ending, but after a few credits they cut back to the scene and Lisa knocked Bart out with one punch and walked away.

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4 Comments

I think it's cool the Simpsons did a spoof of the UFC. They kind of mentioned that some people are opposed to the nature of the sport. But people forget that it is just that, a professional, competitive sport.

Too bad they couldn't get one or two of the fighters to guest voice, kind of like 50 Cent when they did their 8 Mile spoof.

I think the reference was that time doesn't seem to move forward (peoiple don't age), how has Krusty been sleeping with Mel's wife for 9 years if Mel just got the job from Bob recently (while Bart has been in the same grade in school).

My favorite line was the gladiator one between Lenny and Karl walking out the stadium.